Minuwangoda garme embarrasses Govt. a
Brandix says health guidelines were strictly followed but target deadline pressure raises questions Political storm over release of Riyaj Bathiudeen; CID under fire amid speculation that move was linked to 20A vote President Gotabaya keeps repeating ‘I want to deliver’ during ruling alliance discussion on 20A
Aweaker opposition and a powerful two-thirds majority in Parliament have not reduced the woes of the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Alliance in any great measure. Paradoxical enough, mechanisms within the Government, much to their own chagrin, are causing them devastating damage. This is eroding the ruling alliance’s credibility slowly but surely. It is not only in the public eye but also before the international community focused on governance issues here.
Two such instances of great importance emerged this week. One is the shocking “community spread” of Covid-19, for the first time since April. This happened at the renowned Brandix garments factory in Minuwangoda. It assumed proportions of a national crisis unleashing fears of a frightening countrywide lockdown, food shortages and many other uncertainties. That it came at a time when even those in the opposition too were praising the preventive measures taken by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, was upsetting government leaders.
Like the proverbial story of a man who fell from a tree being gored by a raging bull, the spread of the virus exploded when the Government was keen on seeking the early passage of 20A in Parliament. The Supreme Court determination on the amendments has already reached Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena. The Parliament is set to debate it on October 20.
An issue that has brought acute embarrassment to the Government, ahead of the 20A debate, is the release of Riyaj Bathiudeen. He is the brother of controversial former Cabinet minister Rishad Bathiudeen, against whom there are ongoing investigations linked to the Easter Sunday massacres last year. Colombo’s Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith accused the Government of “working a deal” -- a charge strongly denied by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The senior prelate’s accusations were based on official statements made some months ago by former Police spokesperson, Jaliya Senaratne who had stated that Riyaj was linked to Muslim extremists.
In an unbelievable about-turn after the release, Senaratne said there was no evidence to link the man who had been in custody for months. That brought acute embarrassment to the Police top brass. If their contentions were right, they were arresting persons on presumed evidence and releasing them when they cannot find it. Or so it seems. Not that it has happened for the first time. The only difference -- government leaders had to carry the blame and bear the shame for the blunders. Extraordinarily, little has changed in the CID, once a coveted department, except the personalities holding positions.
COVID-19 EXPLOSION AT BRANDIX
Brandix is one of Sri Lanka’s leading apparel exporters enjoying the biggest share of the country’s garment exports to the United States market. It was also producing facemasks. On Saturday (October 3), at its factory in Minuwangoda, a female ‘Senior Production Associate’ (team leader for
400 workers) tested positive to Covid-19. Soon, the number of cases at Brandix skyrocketed. By Friday, a staggering 1,083 were confirmed inflicted. This was higher than the last cluster at the Sri Lanka Navy which stood at 906. The other was Kandakadu which inflicted 650 persons.
It is only after they were identified that the health authorities buckled down to testing relatives and friends of victims. It was too late. Those inflicted had travelled to many parts of the country, to locations in 16 different districts. This included Jaffna, Kandy, Moneragala and Galle. Fuller details of the sudden spurt appear elsewhere in this newspaper.
The most immediate areas -Minuwangoda, Divulapitiya and Veyangoda – came under an indefinite curfew since last Sunday. It was later extended to 18 Police areas within the Gampaha and Kelaniya Police divisions. They continue. Transport, postal and other public services were suspended. Media platforms became the debating portal. Various accounts surfaced about Brandix and its alleged failure to take adequate safety measures. The company, in return, put out a string of carefully crafted statements, absolving itself of responsibility. They somehow posed more questions than answers.
Sunday Times spoke to Brandix Group Chairman Ashraff Omar, a well-known business entrepreneur here and abroad. His reply: “We have been issuing communications from time to time stating our position. I would like to respect that process.”
In making those remarks, Omar perhaps was trying to do damage control by saying the least. Yet, it behoves on Brandix, a reputed employer in the country, to explain how the deadly virus, like a river, flowed from its complex in Minuwangoda to cause fear and panic countrywide. It is no secret that all cases are being linked to this garment manufacturer. The “Divulapitiya Cluster,” as health officials called it, recorded 1,083 cases by Friday evening. Some Brandix employees have been publicly admonishing the company claiming inadequate precautionary measures and lack of due care for workers. As a reputed firm, it is its national responsibility. This was one of many questions the Sunday Times wanted to pose to the Brandix chairman. Another was how the company did not realise the enormity of the problem till nearly a thousand cases were identified?
Take, for example, what the ‘Senior Production Associate’ (whose name is withheld), the first case, had to say in tape in her own voice. “I only went to my workplace regularly. I went to Gampaha Hospital when I was unwell. I did not even go to a nearby shop as I did not have any time. The delivery deadline was tight; therefore, I did not even take any leave. I would get on to the office transport vehicle around 6.50 a.m and return home after work at around 8.15 p.m. I am hundred percent sure that I did not visit anywhere else. Therefore, I am certain that I contracted the virus within the factory. I am suspicious that the issue is still remaining at Brandix. About one week ago, some inspectors came to check on our work, but we did not know that they had come from India. They even inspected the T shirts that we worked on. I am very displeased about the claims hurled against me. Our family has not wronged anyone in the village. Do not sling mud at us. Our children have to live.” Brandix, however, strongly denies that any Indian nationals visited the factory. The first victim makes an interesting point -- that they were keeping to a deadline. Did this lead to health guidelines not being strictly observed?
In the case of the Sri Lanka Navy cluster, a high-level investigation was conducted. The fuller results have not been made public. If talk at the highest levels of the defence establishment is correct, the then Navy Commander Admiral Piyal de Silva was retired without an extension of service, in a move connected to this. He is, however, Ambassador designate to Afghanistan. The Brandix outbreak is far more serious due to its enormity and the acute embarrassment caused to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in particular. He won plaudits from most Sri Lankans and foreign governments for efficiently tackling the Covid-19 pandemic.
Therefore, the billion-dolalr question is whether those responsible for this careless spread will ever be known. It is no secret that the company has influence in high places, whichever party is in office, and its statements have so far not seen any admission of crossing fault lines. The issue is being raised solely in the national interest since the wellbeing of all Sri Lankans is linked to it. They had so far breathed an air of relief, despite shortcomings, over the handling of the pandemic. The air is now being polluted. The damage is the same whether it is done by a high-profile firm, a poultry farm, or a gram seller with a few workers. It puts all others in peril, cripples the resources and work of a government.
One of the immediate reactions spawned by indefinite curfews in selected areas was the birth of fear. In the City of Colombo and principal towns, people rushed to supermarkets. Shelves went empty as consumer goods were snapped up. Grocery shops in many towns engaged in black market business. Rice, flour, sugar and dhal, among other items, were sold at high prices. Coconuts were sold for Rs 100 each or more. Fears spread that a countrywide lockdown was in the offing.
A sizeable volume of traffic disappeared from not only Colombo but in some principal towns. Like night following day, then came the good advice from big wigs related to curbing the pandemic. “Do not panic”, was their refrain. “The situation is under control”, said some. The new Police spokesperson said the risk of a Covid-19 spread prevails. One is intended to soothe the nerves whilst the other, a Police tactic, to infuse fear. Contradictions apart, the critical question is whether people believe in such utterances. If they did, not even half of the panic situations that follow a crisis would happen.
Some may argue that it is a common feature in such instances. However, look at what has often been disseminated during the ongoing pandemic. It is a numbers game – how many are infected and the number cured. That daily dose goes on. Other than that, there are television talk shows and news stories generated by media outlets on their own effort. Would it not be advisable to conduct a daily news briefing where a knowledgeable official in authority could place the correct facts?
This was done during the 1971 insurgency and thereafter during the separatist war. Some were telecast live. Here again, it has to be borne in mind that the focus should be on facts and not just propaganda. Educating the public that way is sure to lessen fears or confusion. Perhaps the simulcast of such an event could be even more productive to the Government if it wants to enhance its credibility. It can narrow down the trust deficit. After all, Corvid-19 concerns all Sri Lankans and the deadly virus is not a respecter of persons.
There has been more confusion after the latest “community outbreak” of Covid-19. The Board of Investment (BOI), which has approved many ventures in Sri Lanka including garment factories, has asked them to conduct random PCR tests of their employees by a reputed health care provider. In a October 7 dated letter signed by Director General Sanjaya Mohottala, the BOI says, “With the sudden societal outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic after two months of having no reported community case, it is our social responsibility to extend our sincere cooperation to the Government in preventing further spread of this contagious virus. As you are aware, the Government, in its full capacity, is still assessing the actual scatter and perimeter of the affected areas of this recent outbreak, with a view to estimate the true prevalence of Covid-19 within the community.”
The letter calls for five percent of the workforce to be subjected to PCR tests in consultation with the Medical Officer of Health (MOH) on a weekly basis. The BOI has recommended four private sector laboratories – Nawaloka Hospitals, Durdan’s Hospitals, Asiri Hospital and Lanka Hospital. Random sampling, the BOI has said, should be priorities for high risk categories – those over 50 years.
However, this has become an issue for a number of garment factories which are operating far away from Colombo. They are scattered in areas like Mullaitivu, Vavuniya, Medawachchiya, Anuradhapura, Jaffna, Hambantota, Lunugamvehera, Badulla and Maharagama. They will all be required to arrange for transport and send their employees for PCR tests in Colombo disrupting their production schedules. “It would have been much easier for us if this was done at the district level than sending busloads to Colombo,” declared an industrialist who did not wish to be named. He charged that the BOI was oblivious to this reality and added “we are raising issue